


I've Never Seen a Smile That Can Light The Room Like Yours

by TheNotoriousN_Y_E



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Chloe is all bravado, F/F, I'm sorry Victoria, Max is Nervous, POV Chloe, POV Max, POV Rachel, Rachel is amused, Shopping, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-26 03:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13849242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNotoriousN_Y_E/pseuds/TheNotoriousN_Y_E
Summary: “You see that girl at the coffee cart?”“Oh, I see her,” Came her rather smug reply, prompting Rachel to glance to her side.Only to see Chloe randomly clipping her fingernails. “Hold my beer.”





	I've Never Seen a Smile That Can Light The Room Like Yours

Saturday, midday at the mall was always a busy time, no matter what city in the world you’re in. Since moving to Los Angeles, Chloe and Rachel had taken to hanging out here though, because people watching in LA was one hundred times more fun than back home in Arcadia Bay. In the Bay there was no mall, only the strip on the beachfront with mostly boarded up windows, trucks and fishing shops. But here, here in Los Angeles, the possible backstories for strangers were endless.

“Okay, old guy over there, coming out of Forever 21?”

“Easy, he likes to participate in the age old pastime of dressing up as a thirteen year old girl and playing with Barbie on the weekends. He’s just bought a whole new One Direction themed outfit and can’t wait to get home and finally talk Ken into making the first move.”

Rachel’s face screwed up as she watched the grey haired man in cargo shorts, socks and sandals disappear behind a pillar and out of sight. He did seem to have a bit of a skip in his step. 

The two were sprawled across a bench in the atrium, soaking up the sunlight streaming in from the skylight and the buzz of life around them. Moving to LA was like coming out of winter straight into summer and not just because of the weather. They felt lighter, with less worries and anchors. Brighter, with endless possibilities and vibrant energies. Rachel looked over to her side to watch as Chloe tilted her head back, her eyes closed, just letting the sun dance across her cheeks. Rachel smiled.

“Okay, Mean Girls, two o’clock.”

Chloe lifted an eyelid and cocked her head to inspect the group of three young women about their age crossing in front of them. Judging by the amount of shopping bags they had with various expensive brands plastered across them, their perfectly styled hair and perfectly coordinated clothes, Chloe was willing to bet somebody had Daddy’s credit card. 

Chloe adopted a higher pitch and a whiny tone. “But Daddy! You told me you would take me to New York this weekend! What do you mean you’re too busy? You promised! Ugh! I hate you! You’ll give me your credit card and your Mercedes for the weekend instead? OMG, I love you so much, Daddy!” She huffed.

Rachel snorted. “That’s probably not too far off, actually.”

“I’m nothing if not the next Attenborough, Rach.” Chloe hummed wisely.

Rachel just chuckled and hummed back in agreement, still watching the passersby. Her eyes fell on a small girl, maybe just a year or two younger than them, coming out of Target with an excited grin splitting her face, so infectious that Rachel found herself smiling too. Her brow lifted as she continued to watch the girl with wonder. She was wearing an unzipped hoodie, an animal t-shirt, plain jeans and Converse with a satchel hanging across her small frame. Rachel shook her head a little at the choice of clothing but still held the smile as the girl skipped over to a small coffee cart. She had to admit, that while this girl wasn’t exactly her type, she was cute. Without taking her eyes off her, she asked Chloe, “You see that girl at the coffee cart?”

“Oh, I see her,” Came her rather smug reply, prompting Rachel to glance to her side.

Only to do a double take and see Chloe randomly clipping her fingernails. “Hold my beer.” Dumping her clippers into Rachel’s hand before she could respond, Chloe sprang up from the bench, leaving Rachel to watch in disbelief as she too trotted over to the coffee cart.

-

“Hey there, good lookin’.”

Max jumped, fumbling to stop her scorching hot coffee from falling, and turned to find where the sudden, loud voice had come from only to find a chin in front of her. She craned her neck to meet the bright blue eyes smiling back down at her. 

“Uh…”

“You’re totally right, where are my manners?” The strange girl with bright blue eyes stuck out her hand. “Chloe Price. Saw you from over there, thought you were cute, had to come over to double check and let me tell you, The Price is Right.”

Did she just wink? Max blinked. 

“Um… thanks? I’m Max…” Max hesitantly shook her hand, unable to help but notice the unusual combination of soft and rough textures of the skin she touched. “Max Caulfield.”

Chloe grinned and Max was caught by the brightness of it. Just as bright as her eyes, her bright blue hair and her rather bright personality. Her attention was drawn by the tattoo snaking its way from Chloe’s wrist up her toned arm and for some reason, she found herself blushing before glancing back up to her face and away again. She broke contact and brought her hand back to cradle her coffee cup nervously.

“Max…” Chloe seemed to play with how the word felt on her lips before the smile came back tenfold. “Well, Maximus, what’re you doing tonight? Because I’m thinking we should meet up and discuss the serious matter of how you had me at ‘uh…’”

Max’s brain was beyond farting, it was melting. This girl wanted to hang out with her? This… rather beautiful, albeit kind of scruffy, strange, girl? “I’m sor-”

“Excellent! Here, put your number in my phone!” Chloe produced a severely beaten up cell phone from what seemed like thin air and hastily shoved it towards her, causing Max to scramble to keep a hold of her coffee as well as take it from her. 

She wasn’t entirely sure this was real and not just a figment of her overactive imagination but Max’s shaky fingers typed in her details without her brain apparently fully registering what she was doing. Giving her number to a stranger? She didn’t even stop to think maybe she should say no or even dial in a fake number. Something just compelled her to actually give her own. 

As soon as she was done, Chloe took the phone back and typed something out. Not two seconds later, Max heard her own phone chime in her bag. 

“Great,” Chloe chirped. “I’ll text you with the details in a bit! Nice to meet you, Max!”

And she spun on her heel and sauntered away, leaving Max to stare dumbly after her.

“Is this real life?”

-

“Holyfuckingshit holyfuckingshit holyfuckingshit, what the fucking fuck is wrong with me? ‘The Price is Right?’ you fucking idiot!” Chloe’s chest was pounding, her skin was vibrating and she was pretty sure she was sweating. 

How the fuck did that work?

“She definitely thinks you’re a psycho. You didn’t even give the poor girl a fucking chance!”

Chloe groaned and raked her fingers through her hair and down her face.

“Went well, did it?” Chloe heard the amused timbre before she saw her. She turned to Rachel who had her arms crossed and a glint in her eye.

“It’s official, I’m weak. Like, usually with girls I’m super chill but holy shit man, did you see her freckles? She has freckles. She has freckles and bright blue eyes and her nose crinkles up when she’s confused and she-... fuck. I’m fucked.”

“But did you get her number?”

Chloe halted her minor panic and stared down at her phone still in her hand.

She felt her heart rate pick up a bit and a warmth spread throughout her chest.

She grinned.

**Author's Note:**

> Basically I was cleaning my kitchen to the music of A Day To Remember and randomly thought of this scenario. I dunno. It's also been years since I wrote anything so as we say in Scotland, HERE WE, HERE WE, HERE WE FUCKING GO.
> 
> Welcome to not only my first LiS fic but also my inaugural Archive fic.
> 
> One-shots are less stressful than multi-chaps. 
> 
> I also should have used this time to do a report and learn monologues and shit.
> 
>  
> 
> *Title taken from You Had Me At Hello by A Day to Remember*
> 
>  
> 
> Why am I like this?


End file.
